Red and the Dog
by AngelicKishinHunter
Summary: I'm Kagome, a bounty hunter. I was sent to kill a werewolf, something that hasn't apeared for a century or two. But the problem is, I'm not exactly doing what I was told to do... AU A mix of Red riding hood and beauty and the beast but still Inukag.
1. Chapter 1:

**Red and the Dog**

A/N: So, I got this idea because I was thinking about my Halloween costume and it just poped in my head. Hope you like it!

_**CHAPTER 1:**_

"Kagome! It's almost that time!" My grandmother, Kaede, called from the living room.

"Yes, I'll be right there Gran." I called back, testing the trigger on my crossbow. Yes, I have a weapon, why? I'm a bounty hunter, best in the village. My name is Kagome Higurashi, but most just call me Red, because of my hood.

I've hunted more bounties than I care to remember. I hunt anything the king has out there. Vampires, Bandits, you name it. I'm getting ready for another hunt, this time it's something I actually _haven't_ hunted before.

A werewolf.

It's been attacking villages and is headed straight here. I can't have that, so this job is a lot more personal than most of the others. It's just me and my Gran though, so it's not much to fight for but it's all I got… since my mother died that is.

I had the arrows specially made the blacksmith. We're not a very wealthy village, so no gold. Silver will do just fine though.

"Alright Gran, am I forgetting anything?" I asked, stepping into the kitchen to pack some food. Who knows how long I'll be gone?

"Yes, your cloak. I hear that red hides you from their gaze." Gran said, putting the red cloth over my shoulders and tying it in the front. Gran doesn't like the idea of me being a bounty hunter, but that doesn't stop. I'm no good at the jobs in town. This is the one thing that I excel at. "You be careful now. Don't go doing any reckless things." She ordered. I giggled.

"Gran, do you even know me at all?" She smiled at that. I kissed her cheek and walked out the door.

I was nearly to the edge of town when someone called my name. I turned to the voice to see no other than the great demon slayer herself, Sango Tijiya.

"Heh, thought you weren't gonna show." I smirked and she did the same.

"So, a werewolf huh? Sounds fun." She said, getting Hirikostu in her grasp and ready to throw at a moment's notice.

"No kidding, I wonder who the poor sucker is. I almost feel bad… almost." I said, loading my crossbow.

"Ready to go Red?" Sango said. I didn't even have to answer, so we ran into the woods to start our dog hunt.

A/N: SHORT CHAPTER! I'm so sorry, but the whole plot is gonna be amazing! I promise! I'll have chapters for other storys up soon too though! Count on it! Just in time for the holiday! _Halloween~_!


	2. Chapter 2:

_**CHAPTER 2:**_

We ran as fast as we could through the woods, trying to find any trace of the cursed bastard. I wanted to hunt this guy down as fast as possible, preferably _before_ the full moon. If that didn't work, he'd have a hell of a time hiding from us, considering he'd be hungry.

We searched for anything; Ripped cloth, claw marks on the trees, footprints, _paw_ prints; but nothing traceable showed up.

"Ugh… it's like going on a wild goose chase." Sango panted.

"No kidding." I responded, just as tired. "Though, it's probably because it's too dark out to see anything… remind why we decided to come here in the middle of the night."

"To keep track of the moon which was pretty confusing, but other than that I have no idea." Sango replied.

"I must have had a brain fart or something." I chuckled. "Come on, we should set up camp. Don't want to freeze to death, do we?" And so, we built a fire and sat down.

"Want some meat?" Sango asked, pulling out a cut of beef. I nodded as she stuck it on a stick and stuck the stick in the ground to be cooked by the fire.

"So, how do we know that this isn't just an ordinary wolf?" I asked, holding my knees to my chest.

"Well, eye witnesses say that it could stand on two hind legs and it was at least nine feet tall when it did that." Sango explained.

"Really?" I asked. Sango nodded.

"They also swear they heard it talking and laughing. They think there may be two, because sometimes the eye colors are different." Sango continued.

"Well that's an important piece of information that the king failed to mention. What colors were the eyes?"

"Gold and red. They say the red one is more viscous."

"Interesting. So, we're possibly looking for two beasts, then. Double the fun." I said, unenthusiastically.

"Oh, cheer up, Red. At least the price is good." Sango tried to lighten my spirits. I was still not too happy about possibly killing _two_ people who probably didn't know what they were doing. I wasn't content with killing one either.

"Alright, so has anyone seen them _not_ as a huge wolf?" I asked.

"No, but their certain it's a werewolf." Sango said.

"That's not why I was asking." I said. "I was asking because what do we have to go on if no one's seen the damn guy?"

"Really, you're just thinking of that now?" Sango deadpanned.

"Yeah, what of it?" I said… then smirked. We both just started cracking up, thinking that both of us are idiots for not thinking about it sooner.

"Oh, this is bad. We shouldn't be laughing, for all we know we could accuse an innocent traveler." Sango chuckled and I stopped laughing. Sango took notice and looked concerned. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Don't you know?" Sango looked confused. "No one passes through these woods."

"…Well… why?" She asked.

"There are stories… apparently this isn't the first time a wolf has lived in these woods. They say that a long time ago, my great, great grandmother was also a bounty hunter. One day, she got an assignment to kill a werewolf that happened to be attacking the village." I hid my eyes under bangs as I told this story, which my grandmother told me. You can guess who she got it from.

"… What happened?" Sango asked.

"She did as she was told. She set out into the forest to find and kill the wolf, and she succeeded, but at a price… you know how when a werewolf dies it changes back into a human?" Sango nodded. "Well, as it turns out, the wolf ended up being her husband, my great, great grandfather." Sango gasped.

"Well, what did she do?" Sango asked.

"… She felt incredibly guilty after that… she went back to the village in a daze, trying to convince herself that what she saw couldn't possibly be true. But sure enough, when she got home, he was gone.

"For the next few days she locked herself up in her room. Some thought she was waiting for her husband to come back… some said she was receding into her mind, playing the incident over and over. Pretty soon, it just became too much grief for her, so she took the arrow she'd used to kill him and thrust it right into her own heart, where the pain hurt most." I said, saddened by the tale as I was, Sango was crying.

"Th-that's so… sad and yet… romantic too." Sango sniffled. I scooted to sit right next to her and hold her as she cried.

"… You know, back then her hood used to be white, but when she killed herself, all her grief, and pain, and love got soaked into the cloak along with her blood, turning it the color of crimson." Sango looked up me in disbelief, then to cloak draped over my shoulders.

"So… that means that-"

"Yup, the cloak I'm wearing is the very same one, passed down since then. The villagers thought it fair that they give the last heirloom of her mother to my great grandmother… She was only 12 when it happened. And four generations later, here I am, wearing the cloak, pursuing the same career, the same job… maybe she'll look down and see this… and feel the ach in her heart once again." I felt like crying, but I couldn't do that, that would be a total sign of weakness and I'm not in the habit of crying on jobs.

Sango sat up and wiped her tears away. "So, if your great grandmother had already been born, then doesn't that mean she was a wolf too?" Sango asked.

"Um… I don't think so… maybe what happened to my great, great grandfather happened after she was born, 'cause there's been no reports of werewolves till now.

"Still, such a sad story. If I'd killed my husband, I'd probably do the same." Sango said.

"Yeah, but the story doesn't end quite yet." I told her.

"Huh?" Sango asked, looking confused.

"Well, there's different endings. Some say that because she committed suicide that she got sent to hell and spent the rest of eternity with her beloved. Some say she still roams around these woods, looking for him in order to go where they belong together. Either way, she still loves him, even after death… I think she'll find happiness if she hasn't already." I explained.

Sango sighed. "Well, maybe she _is_ stuck here, seeking forgiveness, trying to heal the pain in her heart."

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean that she hasn't found him already. Maybe they're running around the woods, happy as can be." I said.

"Maybe they're reincarnated and will soon find each other, if they haven't already." Sango said.

"Maybe…" I said thoughtfully. "I hope so at least. No one deserves to spend eternity lost and alone."

"Here here." Sango chanted and we smiled.

When the beef was done we ate and went to bed. But I couldn't sleep… I had the odd feeling that someone… or some_thing_ was watching us.

'_Nah, get a hold of yourself girl, no one but you and Sango would be crazy enough to come here at night._' I tried to reassure myself, but to no avail. Still, I went to sleep under the unfamiliar gaze, clutching the silver knife firmly so I could react in an instant.

* * *

A/N: WOOHOOOO! Almost Halloween! I'll have something special planned for that, heehee. You just wait…


	3. Chapter 3:

_**CHAPTER 3:**_

I woke with a start. Someone was trying to wake me, so I lunged forward, knocked whoever it was onto the ground and held the knife to their throat. Before I could make one more move they knocked me to the ground and pinned me there, knocking the knife out of my hands. I struggled against their grip until I heard that familiar feminine voice.

"Get a hold of yourself! It's just me, Kagome! It's _Sango_!" I stopped struggling. I stared up at her for a moment. That cold, icy glare she gaze when she was agitated. The strength she has when faced with a threat. _Yup, definitely Sango._ I thought. I mumbled my apologies and pushed her off me.

She sighed. "I just wanted to wake you up for Breakfast. Then we should head out again. He's hiding somewhere in this forest, I just know it." Sango declared.

"Well, I just hope we get to him before the moon turns round." I inquired. We quickly ate our food, wanting to find the beast before its power reached its peak.

We set off in different directions than yesterday.

Pretty soon, I came across a tree… with claw marks embedded into it. Alongside it, I spotted wolf tracks... _large_ wolf tracks. I hastily chased after them. Pretty soon I came across smaller tracks . They looked like a foxes.

_Good, it'll be too busy eating to notice me._ I thought. I kept following both pairs of tracks. I noticed that the wolf tracks soon turned into human tracks, but the fox was still beside it. _Well, so much for that._ I thought solemnly. But what was a fox doing tracking this person?

I couldn't answer that for myself however, because I heard crying from the direction the fox tracks were and the human ones had suddenly vanished. I followed the fox tracks to find a young child with a bushy fox tail and little fox paws.

I noticed that the little weeps were coming from him so I walked up behind him.

"Hey, kid, you all right?" I asked, trying to maintain my strong composure. Once he turned around with a hopeful gleam in his eyes, only to suddenly fade, my composure immediately faltered. His eyes, already flooding with tears, just poured so much more.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I asked, very concerned. He looked like he was about to say something but then his eyes fell on my belt, or more specifically, the weapons I was carrying. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you." I tried taking another step towards him but he jumped to his feet, looking heartrenchingly terrified.

"Okay, I'll put my weapons down." I said, unclipping them and throwing them out of arms reach. The boy looked a little more settled. "Better?" I asked, opening my arms in reassurance. He looked at me skeptically.

"Look, I won't hurt you; I just want to talk, okay?" I asked. He still looked skeptical but nodded his head. "Why are you crying?" I asked as tenderly as I could.

"I-I lost him…" The boy squeaked.

"Lost who?" I asked.

"M-my brother… I can't find him…" He repeated. "I-I'm scared… I-I want to see him again…" The boy began to cry again.

"Oh… you poor thing… May I…?" I asked, gesturing to get closer. He said nothing, so I scooted closer, warily, not wanting to scare him away.

I got close enough to pat his head comfortingly. He struggled to hold his tears in, but we both knew he couldn't. He slammed his body into mine, staining my vest with his tears. I hugged him closer, doing whatever I could to comfort the child.

"Where is he! I wanna see him again, where is that Baka!" He howled, and my heart was breaking with his. His body trembled with sobs.

I looked up. The sun was at its peak again. When did that happen? I looked at the small child in my arms and shook him a little. He looked up at me.

"Would you mind if you came to our camp? Just for tonight, and if I can convince my friend, we'll go looking for your brother in the morning?" I asked. He smiled and nodded eagerly. He jumped onto my shoulder and I stood up, dashing through the forest to get back to camp as soon as possible.

Night was falling by the time we got back and Sango was already cooking dinner.

"Sango, you'll have to cook for two and a half stomachs tonight. We got a little wanderer." I said indicating the nervous kitsune.

"Oh, and what's this extra stomachs name?" Sango asked playfully.

"M-my name's Sh-Shippo…" He said.

"Well then, Shippo, sit tight and I'll get you something to eat." Sango said, cheerfully. I sat down beside Shippo.

"So, any luck today?" I asked.

"No, not a single track. You?" She responded.

"Well, I found some, along with Shippo's. But they disappeared as soon as I heard him crying." I explained, oblivious to the curiosity on the young kits face.

"How do you know they were his?" Sango asked.

"Stop assuming it's a he! And besides, they were definitely theirs. I watched the tracks go from wolf to human." I explained, still oblivious to the child's reactions.

"Oi… I'm starting to think that the bounty was priced appropriately." Sango sighed.

"Yeah… 200,000 gold for one life… their harder to find than a frog! I still feel bad though. For all we know, they don't even know what they're doing. I really don't want to kill a half innocent person." I said. Then I looked over at Shippo and noticed the look of horror plastered on his face. "Hey, what's wrong?"

I watched his lip tremble. Was he scared of us?

"…I… **INUYASHA! RUN!**" He suddenly shouted. Before I could ask, a huge wolf jumped out of the darkness. It's silver main shimmered in the partial moonlight, golden eyes locked with mine, daring me to do something.

The wolf had come right to us, and I didn't even know why. But I didn't care. I reached for my crossbow, only to discover it gone, along with my other weapons. _Damn it_.

I left them in the forest, back where I ran into Shippo. Perfect. I was facing a werewolf, on a half moon, completely unarmed and wide open for the killing. This was not my day.

"What's wrong? Forgot something?" The wolf mocked with a husky voice(No pun intended). It was definitely aware of what it was doing. "Poor little red, defenseless. How will you get out of this one?" He was right, how would I? In his eyes, I was meat… _dead_ meat.

A/N: I'm so sorry, I didn't get to the Halloween fic this year! There's always next year. Hope you guys enjoyed it! R & R Please! I want to know how I did!


	4. Chapter 4:

**A/N:** Please R&R! I'd love to know what you thought! Also, check out my other stories. Speaking of, I'm probably not gonna write any more chapters of **What you need**or **Comatose** for a little while. Just need some inspiration. HELP!

**Disclaimer:** I DON'T FREAKIN OWN INUYASHA! LEAVE ME ALONE LAWERS! SOMEONE SAVE MEEEEEEEEEEE!

* * *

_**CHAPTER 4:**_

The large wall of silver fur seemed to be standing protectively in front of the small kit.

"YOU BAKA! I TOLD YOU TO RUN!" Shippo yelped.

"And leave you behind? Not a chance." The wolf, who I presumed was Inuyasha, growled. At that moment, Sango jumped in front of me.

"Kagome, go. Find your weapons; I'll hold him off till you get back." Sango said, holding Hiriokostu, ready to throw. Inuyashas ears flicked in our direction.

"But Sango-"

"Go! I'll be alright." She snapped. I nodded and wished her luck.

"Oh no you don- Ah!" Hiriokostu slammed right into him as I turned and ran.

"Leave her alone, fleabag, I'm your opponent here." She growled.

"Not for very long." He said. The last thing I heard before running out of ear-shot was a body slamming into something, and hoped it was the wolf, but soon enough I heard the bounding of large feet headed my way.

I didn't dare look behind me, afraid of what I'd see, but the anxiety was too great. I turned just in time to dodge out of the way of a pounce. He crashed to the ground, so I took the opportunity to do some damage, hopefully enough to at least stall him.

I ran forward just as his eyes opened. When I lifted my foot, his eyes widened and I kicked him as hard as I could in the middle of his nose. He slammed his head into the ground and put his paws protectively over his nose. Then, I kicked him on top of his head, on the ear.

I ran around him as he rolled onto his side to rub his head on the forest floor.

_That outa stall him for a while_, I thought, triumphantly.

I ran as fast as I could through the trees. Just as my crossbow and knife came into sight, I was thrown into a tree.

There were bright stars in my eyes, so bright, I was sure I was blacking out.

…Until My vision cleared, that is.

What I saw before me struck fear through me. A _silver_ werewolf with two blood thirsty red eyes was glaring down at me. The beast itself was completely the same, just the _eyes_. This was the _same_ werewolf, but completely different at the same time.

I was in way over my head when I'd accepted this job.

"Inuyasha! Stop!" A man shouted. He ran into my view. A monk? Why was a monk here on bounty hunter business?

"Out of the way Miroku! She kidnapped Shippo!" He shouted.

"What? I did no such thing!" I declared, standing up and placing my hands on my hips.

"Oh really? Then why was he with you!?" He shouted angrily.

"Because _you_ left him all alone! All I did was follow _your_ tracks and find him crying his eyes out in the middle of the goddamn forest, sobbing out 'I lost my brother! I want my brother!'. How can you leave a poor defenseless child out in the open like that!? Some brother you are!" I shouted, only now realizing that during my rampage, I got so close that I was screaming _right in his face_.

Inuyasha stared, eyes now gold and completely dumbfounded by my outburst, but he quickly recovered. "And what exactly was I supposed to do?! It was _your fault_ I had to leave him all alone! If you hadn't come to this forest in the first place, I wouldn't have had to get you off my trail! I didn't ask for you to waltz in here and criticize me! Not that you're someone who _should_ be criticizing _me_." He retaliated, getting back in my face. I swear, I thought he was gonna _literally_ bite my head off, so I acted on instinct.

I hit him on the nose.

He jumped back, sneezing and whining. "Wow, maybe noses are more sensitive than I thought." I muttered.

"There not THIS sensitive, it still hurts from when you kicked it!" He shouted, rubbing his nose.

"Uh… excuse me, wasn't I just saving a damsel in distress from my beastly best friend?" The monk, I assume is named Miroku, asked.

"I AM NOT A DAMNED LITTLE CRAP FILLED DAMSEL IN DISTRESS!" I screamed, turning to him. This made both, the wolf and monk recoil. "I'm the best bounty hunter in my village, Red Riding Hood." I declared.

"That's right, and don't you forget it." I heard Sango say from my left.

"Oh… was I really that loud?" I asked.

"Enough that it scared shippo half to death." Sango said, gesturing to a shivering little heap in her arms.

"Keh, that's simple to do. Little runt's a scaredy cat." Inuyasha snorted.

"I seem to recall a look of horror on _your_ face, mister 'I am wolf, hear me roar'." I deadpanned.

"So… should we get this over with and- AHHH!" Sango suddenly screeched.

"Hey, what- AHHH!" And hand was squeezing my butt.

"HANTAI!" We both screemed and smacked the owner of the hand straight across the face.

"Oi… can't you keep your hands to yourself for 3 seconds monk?" Inuyasha sweatdroped.

"Haha… says the beast who can't control himself." Miroku said, rubbing his cheeks.

"Wait, what did you say?" I asked.

"Miroku can't help it-" I cut him off.

"No, about the loss of control. What does he mean?"

"What, does that matter for your bounty or something? I don't see how it would, considering you'd kill me either way." He growled.

"Didn't you hear me back at the fire, I didn't want to bloody my hands over a partially clean conscious." I said.

"And I think you were lying!" He growled.

"If that were true I'd be dead by now, now wouldn't I?" He paused, probably trying to think of a good come-back. He sighed in defeat, coming up empty.

"Now, be a good boy and spill. What can't you control?" I asked, very serious. He hesitated, glaring at the ground next to him. Since he obviously wouldn't answer any time soon, I turned to the, apparently lecherous, monk.

He caught my gaze and looked between me and the werewolf. "It's… not really my story to tell." Miroku laughed nervously.

"Why should I tell you anything?" Inuyasha glared at me.

"I've only got one reason, and you know it already. Besides, for all you know, I may be able to help." I snapped. He stared at me, daring me to try something. I glared right back, daring _him_ to pounce and get slain by my friend. At some point he stopped glaring, huffed and bounded off into the forest.

I was about to run after him when a hand grabbed my shoulder. I looked back to see Miroku shaking his head. "Don't, he needs to think this through." I glared, not wanting my bounty to slip away from me. If he indeed didn't know what was going on with himself, there was no way in hell I'd kill him. But if he chose not to trust me, I'd return home empty handed for once. If he trusted me, I'd help him out, collect the bounty for getting rid of the _threat_, and return with moey for food.

I sighed and decided it was best to head back to camp, so I picked up my weapons and turned towards the firelight. Sango followed me with a concerned Shippo in her arms. Miroku, I noticed, also decided to follow.

When we got back, Sango, out of habit, checked on the food that was miraculously still there.

"You hungry Miroku?" I asked.

"Huh?" He asked, confused.

"Are. You. Hungry?" I gritted.

"Uh… a little, yeah." He said.

"Do you want any food?" Sango asked.

"Yes, that would be nice, thank you." He said and sat down.

"How 'bout you, Shippo?" I asked.

"Yes please." He said, perched by the tree again.

"… So Miroku, how long does it usually take him to… think?" I asked.

"It depends, but I suspect that this time, it'll take him a few hours. You are our enemy after all." Miroku explained. I huffed and laid back, staring at the stars. '_What could be going through _his _right now?_' I thought to myself.

**Inuyashas P.O.V.**

I came up to the clearing, morphing into my original form and just about ready to scream in frustration. What do I do? If I don't tell her, they might just kill Shippo, Miroku and me. If I do tell her, there's every chance that she would offer to help, just to stab me in the back.

But then again, she might be able to help. After all, she could very well be…

_No!_ I'm not trusting another bounty hunter. Not after… _her_.

But she has the ability to use Shippo against me. If I don't tell her, she could use Shippo as a barter. Despite how I tease him, I actually care for the little kit(not that I'd admit it).

Urgh! What do I _do_!?

**Kagomes P.O.V.**

After we ate, we decided it would be best to sleep for the night.

"But I don't wanna!" Shippo refused.

"Come on, Shippo, don't be like that. You need your sleep too." Sango tried to convince him.

"No!" He said, stubbornly.

"Come on, don't be like that." I said.

**Inuyashas P.O.V.**

I got to where they were just in time to hear the argument between the kit and the hunters.

"Not until Inuyasha gets back!" The kit insisted. I smirked.

There was silence for a few moments, so I thought that nothing more was gonna happen. I was about to step out from behind a tree when the red cloaked bounty hunter said something that made me freeze.

"What if I sang to you?" She asked. It was quiet for a moment until I heard it. A voice silky smooth and so comforting I felt like laying down for sleep myself.

"_Words are born into air,_

_And quickly fade out in the wind._

_But they find their way inside you,_

_Where they live on forever more._

_When the skies are dark and full of rain,_

_Look inside your heart._

_Light, so warm and all aglow,_

_Shining just like the sun._

_You can see just how much you've grown,_

_How strong you are._

_Love will open up to you_

_And it starts from the day that you…_

_First heard those words."_

After that she hummed the rest of the melody, I'm assuming until Shippo fell asleep. Once he did, it was all silence. I didn't even want to move.

"Kagome… where did you hear that song?" The woman with the boomerang asked.

"That's what my mother sang to me when I had nightmares. You know, before she…" She trailed off.

"Yeah, I remember." Boomerang girl replied.

"… I know you're there, fluffy. Come on out." The girl called Kagome called and I winced.

"Hey!" I said, stepping out. I opened my mouth to say more, but she stopped me.

"Not now. It's late, I'm tired and want to sleep. Let's agree that no one will kill anyone tonight and I'll let you sleep on your answer, deal?" She asked. I hesitated, then nodded. Kagome sighed and laid down on her bag, wrapping her cloak around herself as the others, including myself, settled down for sleep. I was up in a tree, out of reach and out of range from the hunters and fell asleep quickly enough.

Tomorrow it was.

* * *

**A/N:** DONE! Ugh, so sleepy. 2 in the morning and finished. Just so you know, that song does not belong to me. I got it from the anime Fairy tail. It's Lyras first song that caused Gray to cry over a dead friend. Pretty, no?


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Just so you know, this shall, from now on, swap between Inuyasha, Kagome and third person P.O.V. Hope you like the chappy~! And sorry it took so long to update, but I was busy with school and making a cover for this, plus virus' and had to get a new charger to, sooo… Please don't bang down my door, fan gals! *Cowers in a corner*

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own Inuyasha nor any other anime out there! Merry Christmas! Happy honica and a happy new year!

**CHAPTER 5:**

**Kagomes P.O.V.**

I clutched the knife tighter in my hand as I heard footsteps walking around the camp. My head was racing, thinking of any reason of why I shouldn't pounce right now.

'_It could be Sango_' I thought. '_Sango's footsteps aren't that heavy. It could be a random passerby. Why would they be skulking around our camp? It could be another bounty hunter. If that were true, I wouldn't hear any footsteps. Who the hell is this guy!?_' I was just about ready to jump up and lunge when the person spoke.

"How long are you gonna pretend to be asleep, wench?" They said. I opened my eyes and sat up. I almost gaped at the boy I saw before me. Long, waist length silver hair with dog ears perched atop his head, claws that looked almost razor sharp and eyes as golden as sunlight. He was clad in a white shirt, brown pants and completely barefoot.

"Who are you?" I asked sternly, glaring at him.

"You gotta be kidding me, you don't remember?" He glared back. "I thought it' be kinda hard to forget."

"Not for her, it usually takes a night for things to settle with her. She pounced on me yesterday because I tried to wake her up. Nearly killed me." Sango said groggily as she sat up. "And you guys are really noisy…"

"Heh heh, sorry again." I said, embarrassed.

"Nothing I'm not used to. And this is Inuyasha." Sango yawned.

"Oh yeah! …Where's Shippo?" I asked.

"Look at your feet." Inuyasha said. I cocked my head and looked. Sure enough, there was shippo, at my ankles, curled up in a little ball. I chuckled.

"Silly little boy." I smiled but quickly wiped it from my face, lest fluffy ears see. He doesn't need to know I have a special soft spot.

**Inuyashas P.O.V.**

I stared at her through the corner of my eye. Though it vanished quickly, I was sure I saw a small smile cross the bounty hunters lips. She's a strange one…

"So, you're not _just_ a werewolf, are you?" Kagome asked. Inuyasha looked somewhat confused. "Most werewolves don't have dog ears in their human form." Kagome explained.

"Yeah, so?" I asked. What exactly does she think she'll discover.

"So, what _else _are you?" She asked.

"Dog demon, what else?" I retaliated. Is she that oblivious.

"I don't know, you tell me." She snapped. "… How does a dog demon become a werewolf?"

"My dad was the dog demon, my mother was a werewolf. How much more obvious could it be?" I snapped back.

"It's not all _that_ obvious." She glared.

"It's simple logic!" I snapped again.

"Well sorry if I'm not familiar with _demon_ logic!" She shouted.

"_Demon_ logic, is that what you call it!?"

"Give me one good reason why I should call it any different!"

"I could give you a hundred and it still wouldn't be enough, considering how thick you are!"

"Oh, I'm the thick one?! Who was it who left Shippo to fend for himself while someone ran away instead of protecting him _too_?!" She shouted as she got up and stomped over to get in my face.

"That has nothing to do with this!"

"So what, it's still not right! Would your father leave you alone while he ran for his life?!"

"How the hell should I know! I never even knew him!" I screamed at her. She froze as I glared down at her, panting in the cold winter air. (Yes, it's the middle of winter, close to Christmas, because I feel like it.) She just stared at me in amazement. Neither of us had even acknowledged how much our small quarrel had escalated over the past few minutes.

"…What do you mean you never knew him?" She asked, tediously.

"My old man died before I was even born, that's what. Maybe you should get to know someone before you start criticizing them about family." I snapped, my voice nearly cracking. Without another word I bounded off into the woods.

**Normal P.O.V.**

Kagome stood there for a few seconds, watching him transform and run into the forest. A full minute had passed, her staring at where he disappeared until she screamed and kicked a fallen branch as hard as she could. Miroku, who'd woken up in the middle of all the shouting, winced alongside Sango and Shippo, who also woke due to yelling.

"I'm such an idiot, I should have pieced something like that together… So stupid!" She yelled at herself before kicking the branch again and falling on her butt roughly to the ground, cupping her forhead in her hands.

"Red… c'mon, be fair, you couldn't have known-" Sango tried to calm down the other bounty hunter.

"He was right, I should really watch my mouth when I don't know the guy." Kagome interrupted her. Sango's shoulders slumped as she got up and sat next to her friend.

"You were just acting the way anyone would. Don't be so hard on yourself. It's not like you could've known." Sango said, squeezing Kagome in a one-armed hug.

"That doesn't change what I said. Geez, now I _definitely_ can't kill him." Kagome grumbled.

"Wait, you were planning on killing him?" Miroku asked, defensively.

"No, I wasn't. I was planning to before I learned there might actually be something else behind his… problem." Kagome explained.

"Ah, well, back to the matter at hand, Inuyasha's always been a bit touchy on the subject of family. I'd expect that's the reason he snapped in the first place. His mother died not too long ago, his half brother is out to get him, and he was recently betrayed by a women. A bounty being added to his head has only made his temper worse and you just resurfaced many of those conflicts I more ways than one." Miroku explained nonchalantly.

"How so?" Kagome asked, intrigued now.

"Well, for starters, you reminded him of his parents deaths," Kagome winced. "And you seem to look like the women who betrayed him, not to mention you were hunting him, you took shippo-" He was cut off.

"Wait, what? I look like the women who betrayed him?"She asked.

"Oh, yes, I can't quite remember her name though. Was it Komicki, Ayano, Morino?" He questioned himself. "I've known far too many women." He laughed.

"Lech." The girls deadpanned and Miroku laughed nervously.

"Koroko? Nomini? Nyumi? Kiniko?" He kept questioning for a few more minutes, trying to ignore the girls blank stares.

"Kikyo." A sultry voice came from behind him. "That was her name, you lech." He grumbled.

"Ah, yes, Kikyo! That was her name. I believe she was a hunter like you two." Kagome and Sango looked at each other.

"You think it's her?" Sango asked.

"Looks like me, bounty hunter. There's no doubt about it." Kagome narrowed her eyes. "It's her."

"… What just happened?" Inuyasha asked Miroku.

"I have no idea." He responded before Sango picked him up and slammed him into a tree. "Hey!"

"How long ago did you see her?!" She interrogated him.

"What?"

"Answer me! How long ago and where!?" She repeated, slamming him harder into the tree.

"Uh, this forest, no more than seven weeks ago. Why, what's going on?" he asked as she let him go.

"Damnit, she's long gone by now!" Kagome screeched and kicked her branch for a third time. Then she stopped and looked at Inuyasha. He gulped.

"What is your affiliation with her?" She asked, getting in his face.

"Can we leave that for now? We've got bigger problems. There's another group of hunters just past the creek to the south." He informed.

"Bounty hunters?" She asked.

"Smells like it, they'll be here by noon, we have to hurry." He said as he scooped Shippo up.

"Don't they know this is my turf? I'll go scare them off, but you owe me an explanation when I get back!" Kagome declared, hauling her bag over her shoulder and tying her weapons to her belt.

"And why's that?" He snapped.

"Because she tried to kill my grandmother." She yelled back as she stalked off.

"And kidnapped my brother with my pet." Sango added as she packed her supplies.

"Why would the bounty hunters be scared of her?" Miroku asked as he put the fire out.

"Let's just say you don't want to screw with Kagome when she's in a bad mood… and this is the worst mood I've seen her in since Kikyo… never mind, let's just get going." Sango said as she swung her bag over her shoulder and walked off.

It wasn't long before Kagome ran across the other hunters. There were seven, burly men with fur armor and big, heavy crossbows that probably weigh more than they have draw back strength. She dropped her bag by a tree and pretended to be astonished as she stalked over to them and confronted them.

"And just what the hell do you think you are doing here?!" She called to them, catching them off guard.

"Hunting for a werewolf, what's it to you." One taunted.

"This is _my _bounty! Why are you here?!" She tried again.

"Kings orders. Besides, someone like you belongs in a tavern, not hunting bounties." Another smirked.

'_The kings men? Why would he send them here?_' Kagome thought.

"But, we'll let you stay if you promise to keep us entertained." A third cackled, followed by the rest of them.

"Hmm… sorry, I'm not in a very good mood right now, so why don't you walk out of this forest before something… unfortunate happens." Kagome warned, cracking her knuckles and neck. They just laughed.

"What? Was that supposed to scare us? Give me your best shot." He mocked. Kagome smirked.

"You're gonna regret stepping foot in this forest." She connected her fist with his jaw and knocked some teeth loose before kneeing him in the groin. He keeled over, giving her the perfect leverage to jump over him and box kick the next guy before anyone knew what had happened. Speaker number 3 grabbed her from behind but she grabbed his arm and flipped him over her into the box kicked guy. She kicked them over the head and elbowed speaker number one in the stomach before yanking his arm behind him and dislocating it. Then she spun kicked another in the groin, then punched him in the face.

She elbowed him at the nape of his neck as she noticed that two had pulled out their crossbows and ran 10 feet away. She pulled out her crossbow, rolled to dodge the first set of arrows and shot one at the one on the left, hitting him in the shoulder. She almost dodged another arrow, but it grazed her arm. She shot another arrow at the one on the right, hitting him in the chest. She smirked. '_Six down, one to go._'

She stood up and looked around, he was nowhere in sight. She furrowed her eyebrows. '_he was just here a second ago._' She thought. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder as she doubled over. She saw an arrow protruding from her shoulder. She looked up, sure enough there he was reloading his crossbow in the safety of a tree.

"What? Are you caught little girl?" He mocked as she looked around. "No where to run?"

"Come down and face me like a man!" She called.

"You, know, I've heard stories about you. The little girl from a small village becoming a strong bounty hunter. Doesn't come back from the job unless she's completed it, even if she doesn't have any supplies left. Never letting another bounty hunter in on her bounty, striking fear into bandits everywhere. Red riding hood, the blood butcher." He smirked, using her given title.

"So, shouldn't you be cowering at my feet by now, begging for mercy?" She taunted.

"No, I think I'll stay up here, watch you bleed to death if the poison doesn't get to you first."

"What?" Her eyes widened.

"And to think, you'd be taken down by a lowly bandit like me." He laughed. Kagome shot him with her arrow. He fell out of the tree to his death.

'_Poison? 3 days into this mission and I'm already poisoned. Must be a new record. I need to get back to the others._' She thought. She didn't even get a single step further before she collapsed to the ground. '_So this is it, huh? Killed by a bandit posing as a bounty hunter. How sad._' She thought as her eye lids began to flutter closed. Just before she fell into darkness, however, she heard a boy call her name, and then… silence.

**A/N:**Okay, Happy holidays, this is my Christmas gift to you, hope you enjoy it. It's two thirty in the morning, 2 ½ hours into Christmas, hope you like, good night.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** Heh heh heh, I love cliffhangers, don't you? *evil smirk*.

**Disclaimer:** I no own Inuyasha nor anything from the anime.

**CHAPTER 6**

**Kagomes P.O.V.**

I woke up a while later, feeling something cold and wet on my forehead, though I was already freezing. I started to sit up, only to immediately cringe in pain and clasp my hand over left my shoulder, which I found to be bare and bandaged. I looked and the gauz was slightly soaked through and probably needed to be changed soon. The red blotch was in such a strange place that the bandages had to be wrapped around my breasts as well.

That's when I noticed my shirt and vest where missing. My right arm was wrapped as well. Not only that, but I started to feel light headed.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down, girl. Take it easy." Sango said, pushing me back down by one shoulder. I looked up at the sky, noticing it had already gotten dark.

"What happened?" I asked, groggily. "I feel like hell turned over."

"Well, that's to be expected. After all, you took an arrow to the shoulder. Not to mention it was poisoned. That's bound to make anyone feel like crap." Sango said, smiling lightly. "So what did they want?"

"Well, first off, they weren't bounty hunters; they were bandits using that as a cover. It looks like Fluffy's gonna have to watch out for them too. And they claim the king sent them, and that didn't sound like a lie." Kagome sighed, meddling with the idea in her head.

"But, why would he send thugs to take this job? I mean, he's got men of his own, right?" Sango asked.

"Isn't it obvious, the king is too greedy for his own good, so he sent people he wouldn't have to pay. And by the way, don't call me Fluffy, that's my brother." Inuyasha said.

"Okay then, we're going back to Fluffy-Ears." Kagome smirked. Inuyasha halfheartedly glared. "And actually, the bandits would demand to be paid as well. His men would just get their salary as a reward."

"What if the bandits had a bounty on them?" Sango asked. Kagome shook her head.

"No, they would want to be paid for their work or else ruin their reputation as 'Bandits'." Kagome explained. "They don't care about bounties, so long as they can satisfy their greed."

"Maybe he just wanted to keep it quiet." Miroku suggested, now standing next to the hanyou. Kagome again shook her head.

"No, that wouldn't make sense. If that were the case, he'd just ask a bounty hunter." Kagome said.

"Am I wrong to assume that bounty hunters share their tales of adventure at home?" Kagome sank back a little. "If bandits were to do so, they could only share amongst themselves, and when they went back to collect their payment, the king would order his guards to kill them. And it would serve an even better purpose if they had a bounty on their heads." Miroku explained.

"He'd be killing two birds with one stone." Sango muttered.

"That's exactly right, Sango dear." Miroku said.

"But then what's the point in asking me and Sango, personally, to take up this bounty?" Kagome asked. Everyone stayed silent for a moment, pondering what she'd said.

"… There's definitely something more to this than meets the eye." Sango grumbled.

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it now. You guys get some sleep; I'll keep an eye out for any more signs of trouble." Inuyasha said, beginning to walk away.

"No, I'll keep first watch, you sleep." I said.

"No, you need to rest. I didn't get you back here for you to overwork yourself." He snapped, turning to me sharply.

"I can take care of myself, Inuyasha. Besides, I can't sleep now that I've slept all day." I said standing up. When I was on my feet, I felt lightheaded again and black spots filled my vision. I felt myself falling but was caught by strong arms. Once my vision cleared I saw silver hair at their back.

"You need rest. I won't say it again." Inuyasha said quietly but firmly. He picked me up bridal style and laid me down on my back, resting my head on what I'd assume was my pack. Still feeling kind of lightheaded, I had no strength to argue, so I just closed my eyes and fell asleep again.

**Inuyasha's P.O.V.**

"Keh, can't sleep my butt." I muttered under my breath. I stood up from my crouch by the bounty hunters side. '_She's already asleep._' I thought.

"Get some sleep, I'm taking first watch." I said, leaping up into a nearby tree. Miroku did as I said and laid down for sleep, but Sango sat there, staring at me for a moment before she shrugged and settled down as well.

I listened around me with my demonic hearing, but all I could hear was the rustling of leaves and the even breaths of the four below me. I sniffed the air but it was just the familiar scents of Miroku and Shippo and the two slightly unfamiliar scents of Sango and Kagome, with just a tinge of blood, both old and fresh… not just theirs either.

I kept my ears and nose open, searching for any sign of a threat for the next couple of hours when I heard some ones breath hitch and become controlled. They got up and walked to my tree with heavy steps. I took a peak below me and saw long dark hair. '_That rules out Miroku._' I thought, then took a whiff of the air. '_Wildflowers…_' I thought. '_Kagome_'

"Thought I told you to rest, wench." I said, dropping from my branch and landing in front of her. It still surprised me how many scars she had marring her skin, and those were just the ones I _could_ see. There were at least twelve on her stomach and five on her chest, above the gauz and a couple coming up from underneath.

I don't think I could count how many were covering her arms. This girl's seen a lot of battles.

"I thought I told you I couldn't sleep." She snapped weakly. "Besides, as I recall, you owe me a little tale. How do you now Kikyo?" She said, starting to pale a little bit, but she seemed unaffected by it.

'_Damn, I did say that, didn't I?_' I cursed myself. "Can we deal with that tomorrow? You need to lay down or you're gonna faint again." I said, trying to get her to go back to sleep. She smirked.

"Fine, then tell me bedtime story." She said, mimicking a child.

"Wh-what?" I asked, confused.

"You want me to go back to sleep, right? Tell me what happened between you and Kikyo and I will." She said. I grumbled.

"…Fine, just lay down, alright? You look like you could topple over any second." I said, crossing my arms. She smiled triumphantly and did as I asked, walking back to were she was sleeping before. I sat down cross legged next to her and waited for her to settle, then I sighed, deciding where to begin.

"I met her in this forest a couple months ago. She was being attacked by a couple of wolfs that were scrounging around for an easy kill." I started.

_**~*~*~**__**FLASH BACK**__**~*~*~**_

"Ah! Someone! Help me!" I heard a woman scream and ran to see what was going on. I saw a cluster of wolves, surrounding a black haired woman who was desperately trying to get away from them. She was bleeding all over, the packs claws having all but shredded her clothing. I jumped in front of her kicked one that was about to take a bite out of her leg. He backed off, snuffing and sneezing, saying something that only I could understand.

'_Worm, leave, this is our dinner!_' He growled at me.

'_Not on my watch. Scram and you can live to _have_ another meal._' I threatened.

He huffed but barked at the others, signaling a retreat and they scampered off to find another meal. I turned to the woman shaking behind me.

"You alright?" I asked, crouching in front of her.

"Y-yeah, just shaken up is all." She stammered. "Th-thank you."

"It's no problem. You got a name?" I asked. She nodded.

"K-Kikyo…" She said.

_**~*~*~**__**END FLASH BACK**__**~*~*~**_

"After I saved her, I took her back with me and introduced her to Miroku and Shippo. Shippo patched her up and she stayed with us for a little while, all the while I hid my wolf from her.

"After a few weeks, we got attacked by some bandits just looking for some 'fun' and I had to transform to fend them off. Kikyo was terrified of me afterwards. She ran away.

"About a week later, she came back and apologized for running away. She said she needed time to think things over and she wouldn't leave this time. Even though Miroku and Shippo welcomed her back with open arms, I knew something was off. She almost seemed...anxious and I could smell blood on her. I brushed it off as nothing though.

"A month or two passed and she had snuck away one night. I figured she was just going to the bathroom, so I decided not to follow her, but when she came back… she tried to kill me. She betrayed me and ran off again. I'm never gonna forget that face. Pure hatred is what it was." I snarled at the memory. Kagome stared at me with an almost apologetic look.

"What?" I asked, unsure of why she was looking at me like that. She didn't say anything, just sat up and hugged me. I stared at her, bewildered.

"…You got lucky." She mumbled into my chest.

"What?" Now I was really confused. She let go of me.

"At least she didn't attack Miroku or Shippo. If your story adds up, when she left you the first time she came to my village. She started asking my mother tons of questions about our family and this old story that has been passed down through the generations. I figured she was just rambling so I didn't pay her any mind.

"But one day, grandma shooed me out to speak with her alone. When Kikyo came back out she was as pale as a ghost. She walked to the back yard, where my mom was. Curious, I followed her. She started screaming at my mother. Then, next thing I know, she yanks the axe off the wood chopping block and killed her.

"I ran, scared as a mouse at that moment, back inside where grandma was. I'd told her what happened but before we could leave, Kikyo marched in and tried killing grandma too. Grandma dodged the first attack, but the second one took her eye out… almost literally. That made me snap out of my daze and I ripped the axe from her hands. She ran.

"We didn't see her again until a few months later. She was in the process of stealing Kiara, Sango's pet and stead, when Kohaku, Sango's younger brother, caught her in the act. To keep him quiet, she kidnapped Kohaku and took Kiara, but just as she took off, Kikyo saw her and a bound Kohaku on Kiara's back. We've been accepting jobs all over in order to simultaneously hunt her since." Kagome finished her story and now, it was my turn to stare.

"I'd let it go if there weren't two key reasons for me hating her guts right now. One, she attacked Sango's family in order to get at me. Two… Kikyo's my cousin… and she attacked and killed her own family. That's something I'll never forgive." She said darkly.

"… You've mentioned your grandmother before and now you tell me your mother's dead, that Kikyo, your cousin, killed her… what about your dad?" I couldn't help but ask.

"He abandoned my mother when he found out she was pregnant. I never knew my dad either." She said. "… You said you had a brother, before, when I called you Fluffy. Since we're talking about family here, why not tell me about him?" She asked.

"Not much to say, other than he's a total Jackass. He's not a werewolf, but he's full dog demon, so I guess you'd say he's my half brother. I call him Fluffy because he always has this big fluffy pelt wrapped around his right shoulder." She chuckled when I said that.

"He sounds interesting." She said.

"Yeah yeah, just go to sleep. I told how me and Kikyo met, now you keep your end." I told her.

"Fine, but you should sleep too. Wake Sango up, she's used to taking second watch when we feel we need to." She said and laid down.

"…You're not sleeping." I smirked.

"I'm working on it!" She barked. I chuckled. After Kagome went to sleep I woke Sango up and she took over. Then I jumped in my tree again and slept the rest of the night.

**A/N:** DOOOONE! Tell me how you guys liked it! I'll update soon, I swear! Yes, I know, Kikyo's a Biatch.


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